Froth flotation of sulfide ores



Patented June 27, 1950 FROTH FLQTATION OF SULFIDE ORES Roberto Carvaial and Juan Jose Quiroga, Sewell,

Chile, assignors to Kennecott Copper Corporation, New York York, N. Y., a corporation of New No Drawing. Application December 4, 1946, Serial No. 713,908. In Chile February 19, 1946 1 Claim. '(Cl. 209-168) This invention relates to the concentration of ores and has for an object the provision of certain improvements in concentration operations. More particularly, the invention contemplates the pro-' vision of certain improvements in flotation concentration operations. A further object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in flotation methods or processes.

The invention is based on our discovery that compounds having the following general structural formula are highly effective flotation reagents which may be employed advantageously as mineral collecting agents in conjunction with frothing agents and conditioning agents in froth flotation operationsi in which R and R" represent the same or different organic radicals.

Reagents suitable for use in carrying out a flotation method or process of the invention may be produced by reacting a tritniocarbonate and an organic compound containing chlorine as a constituent. Preferably an organic trlthiccarbonate containing one organic radical as a constituent is employed. The organic compound employed for reacting with the trithiocarbonate may contain an organic radical identical with or difierent than the organic radical forming a constituent of the trithiocarbonate. Trithiocarbonates and chlorine-containing compounds containing alkyl radicals or aryl radicals or both may be employed in reactions designed to produce mineral collecting agents suitable for use in flotation processes of the invention, and, in the structural formula set forth above, R and R represent such radicals.

Among the compounds found to be most effective are those in which one of the radicals represented by R and R" is an amyl radical and the other is a diethyl dithiophosphate radical.

In one of its aspects, the invention is based on our discovery that products resulting from reactions between a trithiocarbonate and an organic compound containing chlorine as a constituent are efiective mineral collecting agents when employed with frothing and conditioning agents in froth flotation methods and processes.

Reaction products suitable for use in carrying out a flotation method or process may be prodIIOCdnjOI example, by reacting sodium amyl triiglhiocarbonate with chloro-diethyl dithiophosp to.

An aqueous solution of sodium amyl trithiocarbonate and chloro-diethyl-dithiophosphoric acid in molecular proportions are allowed to react. The acid is added to the solution of trithiocarbonate slowly and with continuous agitation. The principal compound formed from this reaction is a yellowish brown oily substance, heavier than water, which can be separated by decantation. Sodium chloride is produced as a by- -product. The reaction appears to take place in accordance with the following equation:

OHaCHaO SH In practicing a method or process of the invention, a neutral, acid or alkaline circuit may be employed. We prefer to employ an acid circuit in treating copper sulphide ores.

The flotation reagents employed in practing our invention may be employed advantageously in froth flotation operations designed for the concentration of both nonmetallic minerals and metallic minerals and in froth flotation operations designed for the concentration of both oxidized ores and sulphide ores. The reagents can be employed with particular advantage in froth flotation operations designed for the concentration of copper sulphide ores and other sulphide ores.

The following example illustrates a method of concentrating sulphide ore by froth flotation according to the invention:

A compound of the invention was employed as the collecting agent in the treatment of ore of the Braden Copper Company containing 2.268 per cent copper and 0.100 per cent M082. It was ground with the collecting agent which was added at the rate of 0.2 pound per ton of ore. The ore was ground to 80 per cent minus 200 mesh (Tyler series.) The pulp was transferred to a flotation cell and diluted to 18 per cent solids. The tests were run in an acid clrcut using 5 pounds H2804 per ton and the frother used was Shell 2000 grade cresylic acid at the rate of 0.44 pound per ton.

The method of concentrating mineral sulfide are which comprises subjecting the ore in the form of a pulp to a. froth flotation operation in sermons-om somomo s omomo sn ROBERTO CARVAJAL. JUAN JOSE UmoGA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the I file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,659,369 Douglas Feb. 14, 1928 2,021,726 Hess Nov. 19, 1935 

